Wolf escapes Daejeon zoo, opening halted as authorities launch search

Baby wolves / Courtesy of Daejeon City

O-World Zoo suspended operations after a wolf escaped its enclosure, prompting a large-scale emergency search involving firefighters, police and zoo staff.

According to the Daejeon Fire Headquarters, Wednesday, a two-year-old male wolf broke out of its enclosure at around 9:15 a.m.

“We conduct daily inspections of each enclosure before opening, and one wolf was missing. After checking CCTV, we confirmed it had dug through the soil at the bottom of the enclosure and escaped,” an O-World official said.

The zoo, located in Daejeon's Jung District, notified local authorities immediately after confirming the escape and reported it to fire officials at around 10:24 a.m. A joint response team — including 35 firefighters, 116 police officers and about 100 zoo employees — was mobilized to search the premises and capture the animal.

Officials said they believe the wolf is likely still inside the zoo rather than having escaped to surrounding areas. As a precaution, O-World halted its opening and completely restricted visitor access.

“We identified the escape before opening and are currently conducting an internal search without allowing visitors in,” the zoo said.

The city government also sent out an emergency text alert saying, “One wolf has escaped from O-World and is currently being searched for within the zoo. Visitors and nearby residents are advised to exercise caution.”

The incident has drawn renewed attention as a similar case occurred at the same zoo on Sept. 18, 2018, when a puma escaped and was shot dead after about four hours and 30 minutes.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.